oldmodeller Posted May 3 Share Posted May 3 Is it because I'm old and have lost my grip or does anybody else have problems getting paint out of a dropper bottle? I have had to resort to using a pair of water pump pliers to squeeze the bottle as I cannot squeeze it by hand. While mostly successful this method can lead to the ketchup bottle syndrome- you bang and bounce and squeeze the bottle, first none will come and then a lottle. Why are these bottles made so thick? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted May 3 Share Posted May 3 I use a cocktail stick to re-open the hole, which can become blocked with dried paint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleD Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 I always like to add a ball bearing to dropper bottles to aid stirring.I never have any problems getting the top off a Vallejo bottle but really struggle getting the Humbrol top off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishmail Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 I have a couple of Humbrol dropper bottles and I have found that the plastic used is not as flexible as the Vallejo ones. I always keep a couple of bits of stiff wire to clear any blockages in the nozzle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldmodeller Posted May 4 Author Share Posted May 4 Seen and done this and bought the postcard. doesn't answer the original query about not being able to squeeze the thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marto Posted May 5 Share Posted May 5 I think the Humbrol stuff is a lot thicker (paint and bottle) then the better quality Vallejo. I've no issues with squeezing the Humbrol one, maybe your paint is drying up inside? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldmodeller Posted May 5 Author Share Posted May 5 No they are almost brand new - ordered from airfix this year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john redman Posted May 5 Share Posted May 5 I have the same problem. Some seem to have a squeezable sweet spot where the plastic is thinner, but those aside they are tough to squeeze. I may start decanting them into empty Vallejo bottles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldmodeller Posted May 7 Author Share Posted May 7 I think I will just remove the tops and use a brush like the tinlets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dominic Thomas Posted May 9 Share Posted May 9 As John Redman says above, I have found that there is a spot which is easy to squeeze. I’ve found this on all the Humbrol paint bottles I have used. The difficulty is finding it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marto Posted July 28 Share Posted July 28 Was in Hobbycraft yesterday and noticed that the Humbrol acrylics bottle has changed again. It now looks more like a Vallejo one then it did. I opened one, squeezed it, and noted that the paint seemed thinner then it used to. Has anyone tried airbrushing this new paint, can you now use it straight out of the bottle in an airbrush like a Vallejo Model Air paint or does it still need thinning? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted July 29 Share Posted July 29 I have used the old style DB neat in my airbrush without thinning. It worked fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain.Glumbo Posted July 29 Share Posted July 29 On the bottles it says "Gen 2" on them which is a new formula. Not all colours are gen 2 yet 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valhalla Posted July 29 Share Posted July 29 That sounds promising. So far I've never got on at all with airbrushing Humbrol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valhalla Posted July 29 Share Posted July 29 Ah, just checked the last Humbrol bottle I used and that says Gen2 It's probably the thinner I was using Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marto Posted July 29 Share Posted July 29 4 hours ago, Captain.Glumbo said: On the bottles it says "Gen 2" on them which is a new formula. Not all colours are gen 2 yet I thought they seemed quite different to what was on the shelf even a few months back. Will buy one today and test it along side my trusty Vallejo paints for comparison. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tour de Airfix Posted August 3 Share Posted August 3 I’m also a Vallejo fan through and through with possibly close to 100 bottles of various colours, brush, air, metallic, varnishes and washes, all in those trusty dropper bottles. Then earlier this week I needed not only, unbelievably, a few more colours but also to increase the cost of my basket by a couple of pounds to reach the free P&P clip point, so you guessed it, I took the plunge and added a couple of Humbrol droppers. I’ve never tried these before so it’s going to be a very interesting experiment, particularly if they need thinning to spray - e.g. will my Vallejo thinner work as well or shall I just add water. I note these bottles have the Gen2 label so fingers crossed 😊 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tour de Airfix Posted August 3 Share Posted August 3 On 03/05/2024 at 17:51, oldmodeller said: Why are these bottles made so thick? Good question. I personally have yet to have this problem. Yes the end can frustratingly get clogged from time to time and the cocktail stick has to be reached for but the airbrush ready paints, for sure, seem to flow with the lightest of squeezes. I have, come to think of it, had a more challenging time with the thicker brush paints, so I wonder if you’ve a batch of less fluid Humbrol paints there? I know Humbrol had a real issue with the little tubs drying up. I’ve just recently- per my above post- purchased a set of Humbrol droppers so it’s going to be interesting to see how they perform. Perhaps it won’t be long before paint suppliers follow the way of mineral water bottle makers, although I think some of these have gone a little too far as they can crush far too easily leaving one a little damp! 😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted August 3 Share Posted August 3 5 hours ago, Tour de Airfix said: I’ve never tried these before so it’s going to be a very interesting experiment, particularly if they need thinning to spray I haven't needed to thin yet. I treat then exactly the same as VMA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marto Posted August 8 Share Posted August 8 (edited) As pointed out by others, the new 2.0 bottles are quite hard to squeeze and its not easy to get droplets for airbrushes unlike Vallejo. I tried spraying straight from the bottle and found it ok-ish. I then used my Vallejo thinner with the same drop ratio as I do with my Vallejo paints and found that improved it. I still prefer Vallejo but there are colours that are recommended that are not available in Vallejo Air so in the case of these I will use Humbrol (although some colours are not in either range eg 76 Matt Uniform Green. Making the bottles are as good from Hornby as they are from Vallejo should be their main goal now. Edited August 8 by Marto 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A J Rimmer Posted August 8 Share Posted August 8 I have to say I detest the Humbrol dropper bottles! Bad design, too thick and just not as good as the old screwtop tubs. The main problem I have though is that it's nearly impossible to mix the paint properly. Humbrol acrylic has always been (in my opinion) far far too thick and has always needed a decent dose of thinner and a good stir to get them to flow nicely, even for brush painting - which is next to impossible in these dropper bottles, without ripping the top out with a pair of pliers and stirring it, getting paint everywhere in the process. Even my vibro shaker doesn't seem to work that well with them. I have to say I'm seriously considering sourcing some small pots and decanting the paint into them. When it's thinned properly, I do think the new gen 2 paint is nice to paint with, and although it won't replace my Hataka and Citadel paints, I would be tempted to use it more - if it wasn't for those bottles! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tour de Airfix Posted August 9 Share Posted August 9 20 hours ago, Marto said: I then used my Vallejo thinner with the same drop ratio as I do with my Vallejo paints This is good to know. I’ve just started to try a set of these droppers and agree, they sort of spray but really do need thinner. Jonathan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valhalla Posted August 9 Share Posted August 9 On 08/08/2024 at 11:03, Marto said: I then used my Vallejo thinner with the same drop ratio as I do with my Vallejo paints I tried Vallejo thinners but really struggled to spray well. I will give Humbrol thinners a go though to see if that makes a difference Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dominic Thomas Posted August 10 Share Posted August 10 20 hours ago, Valhalla said: I tried Vallejo thinners but really struggled to spray well. I will give Humbrol thinners a go though to see if that makes a difference In the days of plastic tins (??? 🙃), I managed to bring some Humbrol Dark Sea Grey back from the grave with a significant amount of water. Works fine now. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valhalla Posted August 10 Share Posted August 10 I might try that. I still have a number of the "plastic tins" left. Most bizarre design ever! 🙂 Ian 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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